Ash tray assembly



Jan. 3, 1967 w. o. coLLlNs ASH TRAY ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 8 1963 Wil/iam 0. Co /ll'ns IN I/IjNTOK.

a recess 63 corresponding to the recess 50 `for interlocking engagement with the plate 32 on lthe uppermost ifntermediate u-nit and also for telescopically and interlocking with the wall portion 28 of the hase unit 12. when the cover or lroof assembly 16 is employed with the base unit 12 to form a covered dish.

All of the units forming the pagoda will have the same wall configuration, for eXample, as illustrated in FIG- URES 1-4, there are `four walls 'generally defining a square pagoda. However, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the pagoda units may be circular in configuration or may he octagonal, hexagonal or any other suitable shape. In each instance, each intermediate unit, which may vary in number, is of substantially identical construction and the cover unit 16' is usable either with the uppermost intermediate unit or with the base unit 12. Also the particular projecting ledge and upwardly curved structural components incorporated into the ledge may vary as desired. For example, FIGURE illustrates what may be considered a scalloped edge for the ledge with there being a plurality of upwardly curved points 70 for illustrating another type of pagoda and also, the roof and spire construction may be varied as desired for varying the handle structure for the cover or lid assembly and also for varying the appearance of the pagoda. The various components may be colored in a particular manner to provide for different appearance characteristics such as occur in various pagoda constructions.

Also, the corner of the bottom surface of the ledges is provided with radial grooves or recesses 72 which dene cigarette holding areas when the intermediate units are inverted and used as a cigarette or ash tray. The grooves 72 are horizontal and terminate inwardly of the corners and continue across the offset surface or recess 50 to the inner edge of the ledge. Moreover, the internal conliguration of the peripheral wall structure may be varied to provide a smooth internal surface for ease of cleaning if desired or provide a particular configuration of internal surface yfor a particular use. The ledges 42 and their `curved corners and cnrved edges 44 form a handle for enabling secure grasping of the intermediate units such as when using the device for various purposes and also, the plate 32 which becomes a base plate when the intermediate units are inverted as illustrated in FIG- URE 4 for .use as an ash tray stabilizes the structure to prevent it from tipping over. Also, the con-tour of the ledge may vary and may have an arcuate curvature throughout the surface area thereof if desired hut in any event, the flange 4S will define a flat horizontal surface for engaging either the upper edge of the wall portion 23 or the planar surface 34 of the plate 32. In order to form the pagoda, the hase unit is positioned initially and if the cover assembly 16 `is employed thereon, it is removed and the intermediate units as illustrated in FIG- URE 4 are taken one at a time and inverted to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 and then brought iut-o telescoping interlocking stacked relationship to the hase unit and the underlying intermediate units as the case may be. The cover unit 16 is then placed on the uppermost intermediate -unit thereby `forming a simulated 4lpagoda las illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 `and also in FIGURE 5. l

rihe foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.V Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, 4and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A cigarette ash tray comprising a plate-like lbase of polygonal configuration, an upstanding and outwardly flared wall member adjacent each side edge portion of said base, the wall members having vertical side edges which are joined to yform corners defining a hollow interior receptacle porti-on for receiving cigarette ashes, a generally horizontally `disposed ledge on the upper edge of each wall-member, said ledges projecting outwardly `beyond the wall members with the adjacent ends of the ledges being joined and forming ledge corners, said ledge corners curving downwardly and outwardly and having a radial extent which .is greater than that of the intermediate portions of the ledges, the innermost portion of each ledge having a downwardly offset recess in lthe top surface thereof extending to the inner :edge of the ledge defining a peripheral shoulder adapted to receive the base of an overlying ash tray when a plurality of ash trays are stacked for positioning and retaining the base of the overlying ash tray in aligned position thereon, each ledge corner having a radial -groove Iformed therein with the surface of the `groove being horizontal whereby the downward curvature of the ledge corner forms an outward taper in the groove with the outer edge of the groove terminating inwardly of the outer edge of the ledge corner whereby the outer end of la cigarette placed in `the groove will be spaced from the led-ge corner, portions of the downwardly offset recess in the inner periphery of the ledge having a groove therein forming a continuation of the cigarette groove in the ledge corner for receiving and positioning the inner end of a cigarette placed in the groove in the ledge corner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 117,678 11/1939 Steeb et al. D. 131,434 2/1942 Fageol. D. 144,410 4/ 1946 Newman. D. 167,100 6/1952 Phillips et al.

2,210,521 8/ 1940 Bemis 220497 X 2,319,173 5/1943 Weiss 131-235 2,734,515 2/1956 Campbell 131--238 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,745 10/1928 Germany. 327,840 3/ 1958 Switzerland.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

